Chapter 18
Marcus's heart dropped into his stomach as he examined the photograph under the bright hallway lights.
The image showed a young Arthur Vella standing alongside a woman whose face had been deliberately scratched out.
Behind them stood the grand entrance of a private psychiatric sanatorium located in upstate New York.
Tucked beneath the photograph was a handwritten note written on faded parchment paper:
'Arthur didn't create the Vella fortune alone in 1985.'
'He stole it from his elder sister, Victoria, whom he had illegally committed to a private asylum.'
'Evelyn isn't the first daughter of the Vella family to be betrayed for money.'
'And she won't be the last.'
Marcus immediately pulled his secure radio to his mouth. "Secure all exits around the hotel now!"
He rushed back into the grand ballroom, his eyes scanning the crowd of five hundred guests frantically.
Evelyn was stepping down from the stage, accepting congratulations from foreign diplomats and board members.
She noticed Marcus rushing toward her with a severe, pale expression on his face.
"What is it, Marcus?" Evelyn asked, stepping away from the circle of executives.
Marcus handed her the small wooden box and the handwritten note without saying a word.
Evelyn read the note, her green eyes widening in profound, terrifying shock as her breathing hitched.
May you like
She had spent her entire life believing her father was the sole founder of the family legacy.
She had never heard the name Victoria Vella mentioned in any family document, trust, or historical record.
